Apparatus for drying bicarbonate of soda.



APPARATUS FOR (No Model.)

F A f j 1 ll Lu ITNESSES: M1;

DRYING BIGARBONATE 0F SODA.

(Application filed Apr. 17, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

I 1 g l I R L R V I l 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

mz'nanms PETERS co, Pum'aumo, wAsMmarom D. c

No. 683,187. Patented Sept. 24, l90l. E. SOLVAY.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING BICARBONATE 0F SODA (Application filed Apr. 17, 1896.)

(No Model.)

MQa nma WITNESSES:

l 7 I1 I JZQM;

ATTORN EY m: warns wmns co. PHOTO-Lind), WASHINGTON, av cv UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

ERNEST SOLVAY, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOLVAY PROCESS 00., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING BICARBONATE OF SODA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,187, dated September 24, 1901.

Application filed April 17,1896. Serial No. 587,994. \No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST SoLvAY, of Brussels, Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in drying apparatus of the class set forth in my prior patent, No. 617,367, issued January 10, 1899, particularly applicable for use in the manufacture of bicarbonate of soda, and has for its object the production of a device of such construction that its drying or filtering surface is automatically and continuously cleaned; and to this end it consists, essentially, in the combination, construction, and arrangement of the component parts of a drying apparatus, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims. 7

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal verticalsection of my improved drying apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22, Fig. 1.

The drying apparatus set forth in the aforesaid patent is of such construction that the operation of the filtering body must be stopped from time to time in order to effect cleaning of its drying or filtering surface. My present invention is designed to obviate stoppage of the filtering-body for said purpose and is of such construction that cleaning of its drying or filtering surface is automatically and continuously effectedduring the operation thereof, and consequently its practicability and capacity are greatly enhanced.

A is a receptacle, of any desirable form, size, and construction, and a is a pipe or conduit for discharging thereinto the material to be dried, which maybe held in suspension by a suitable liquid or may be merely moistened thereby. If desired, this pipe may be omitted and the material to be dried may be otherwise discharged Within the receptacle A.

Bis a filtering-body, of any desirable form, size, and construction, having a portion of its surface movable into and out of the fluent or moist material in the receptacle A. The

body 13 preferably consists of a revoluble cyl-' inder partially surrounded by air or other drying fluid and formed with a perforated peripheral drying or filtering surface b, a perforated ring I), surrounding the surface I) and formed of any suitable material, a main chamber B, and branch chambers B extending from one side of the surface I) to the chamber B" and provided with openings b communicating with said chamber B. The body B is actuated by any suitable driving means, as a gear b and is formed with closed end walls having projecting trunnions 5 b which are journaled in hearings to a and are usually formed hollow. i

G represents any suitable means for subjecting one side of the drying or filtering surface b and the chambers B to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface, and D suitable means for automatically subjecting said side of the drying or filtering surface and the chambers B to a pressure different from the former pressure. These means 0 D may be of any desirable form, size, and construction, but are preferably so constructed as to first subject the chambers B and the adjacent side of the drying or filtering surface I) to a lower pressure than that on the opposite or outer side of said surface I) and to afterward subject said chambers and adjacent side of the surface 19 to a pressure higher than that on the opposite or outer side of the surface I). The means 0 D preferably consist of stationary conduits or passages extending through the trunnions b b and having the adjacent ends of their inclosing walls suitably connected together. As clearly seen in Fig. l, the con duit or passage 0 communicates with the chamber B of the bodyB and the conduit or passage D is provided with a yielding wall D, formed of rubber or other suitable material, and a branclfconduit d, which projects laterally from said wall, so as to be free to yield lengthwise, and successively communicates with the openings b of the chambers 13 as the A body B is revolved. I usually arrange the means 0 so that the chambers 13* are first subjected to the lower pressure after the operation of the means D, when their drying or filtering surfaces are within the fluent or moist material to be dried and are continuously subjected to said pressure after their elevation above the main body of said material and until the dried material is removed from the drying or filtering surface I) by a knife E or any other suitable device. The means D is so arranged as to subject the chambers B to the hgher pressure after the dried material is removed from their surfaces b in order to discharge substantially all material from the outer ends of the perforations of said surfaces.

As in my aforesaid patent the lower pressure within the body B forces the liquor or moisture in the material to be dried through the drying or filtering surface of said body, causes the material to accumulate and remain on said drying or filtering surface, and thoroughly dries said accumulated material when elevated above the main body of the fluent or moist material by compelling the moisture between its particles to enter the filteringbody and by drawing through said material the air or other drying fluid surrounding the unsubmerged portion of said filtering-body. In the operation of my drying apparatus the lower pressure within the body B is preferably sufticient to cause a given amount by weight of the moisture or liquid in the moist or fluent material and the air or other drying fluid partially surrounding the filtering-body B to feed through the conduit C at a greater speed than a similar amount of said moisture or liquid and air or other drying fluid feeds through the filtering-surface of said body from the outer side thereof.

The construction and operation of my improved drying apparatus will be readily perceived upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be particularly noted that I do not herein limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of any of the component parts thereof, as the same may be materially varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the moist or fluent material to be dried, a filtering-body partially surrounded by air or other drying fluid and having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, said filteringbody being provided with a series of chambers projecting from its inner surface, a conduit or passage for withdrawing a given amount by weight of the moisture or liquid in the moist or fluent material and the air or other drying fluid from the inner side of the filtering-surface at a greater speed than a similar amount of said moisture or liquid and air or other drying fluid feeds through the filtering-surface from the outer side thereof,

and a second conduit or passage unconnected with the former conduit orpassage forsubjecting said chambers successivelyto an increased pressure after the removal of the filtered material from the corresponding port-ions of the outer side of the filtering-surface and during the passage of the moisture or liquid and the air or other drying fluid through an adjacent portion of said surface, into the corresponding chamber, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the moist or fluent material to be dried, a filtering-body partially surrounded by air or other drying fluid and having a portion of its surface movable into e11- gagement with said material, a conduit or passage connected to the interior of the filtering body and adapted to be connected with means for maintaining a partial vacuum within the filtering-body and retaining the material in position on the exterior faceof said body, and a second conduit or passage connected to the interior of the filtering-body for raising the pressure within a portion of the filtering-body after the removal of the filtered material from the corresponding portion of the filtering-surface and during the maintenance of the partial vacuum within an adjacent portion of said body by the first conduit or passage, sub-' stantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A drying apparatus comprising a recep tacle for receiving the material to be dried, and a filtering-body, having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, and provided with a series of chambers extending from one side of said surface, and formed with openings thereinto, and a conduit or passage provided with a yielding branch for successively communicating with said openings and subjecting the chambers to a pressure different from that previously therein, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, and a filtering-body having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, and provided with a main chamber, a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and communicating with the main chamber, means for removing the filtered material from said opposite side, and a conduit or passage communicating with the main chamber, said conduit or passage operating to subject the branch chambers after the removal of the filtered material to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface after removal of the filtered material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, a filtering-body, having a portion of its surface movable intoengagement with said material, and provided with a main chamber, a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and communicating with the former chamber, a conduit or passage com mnnicating with the main chamber for subjecting the branch chambers to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface, and a second conduit or passage for subjecting said branch chambers to a pressure different from the former pressure, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, and a filtering-body, having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, and provided with a main chamber, a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and having openings communicating with the former chamber, a conduit or passage communicating with the main chamber for subjecting the branch chambers to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface, and a second conduit or passage having a yielding branch for communicating with said openings and subjecting the chambers to a pressure different from the former pressure therein,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, and a filtering-body, having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, and provided with a main chamber, a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and having openings communicating with the former chamber, a conduit or passage communicating with the main chamber for subjecting the branch chambers to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface, a second conduit or passage provided with a yielding wall, and a branch projecting from the wall for successively communicating with said openings and subjecting the chambers to a pressure different from the former pressure therein, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, a revoiuble filtering-body, having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, and provided with a main cliam ber, and a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and having openings communicating with the former chamber, a stationary conduit communicating with the main chamber for subjecting the branch chambers to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface, and a second stationary conduit for communicating with said openings and subjecting the chambers to a pressure different from the former pressure therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A drying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, a revoluble filtering-body, having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material,and provided with a main chamber, and a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and having openings communicating with the former chamber, a stationary conduit communicatin g with the main chamber for subjecting the branch chambers to a pressure different from that on the opposite side of said surface, and a second stationary conduit connected to the former conduit and formed with a laterallyprojecting branch for successively communicating with said openings and subjectingthe chambers to a pressure diiferent from the former pressure therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. Adrying apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the material to be dried, a revoluble filtering-body, formed with opposite hollow trunnions and having a portion of its surface movable into engagement with said material, said body being provided with a main chamber, and a series of branch chambers extending from one side of said surface and having openings communicating with the former chamber, a stationary conduit projecting through one hollow trunnion and communicating with the main chamber for subjecting the branch chambers to a pressure difierent from that on the opposite side of said surface, and a second stationary conduit projecting through the other hollow trunnion and communicating with said openings con-' nected to the former conduit and formed with a laterally-projecting branch for successively communicating with said openings and subjecting the chambers to a pressure different from the former pressure therein, substan= tially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two at testing witnesses, at Brussels, Belgium, this 26th day of February, 1896.

ERNEST SOLVAY.

Witnesses:

R. LUcIoN, GREGORY PHELAN. 

